Growing concern about impact of handover delays
But guidance unchanged on PPE for ambulance staff
Rotating clinicians and keeping ventilation running are among Public Health England’s recommendations for how to avoid spreading covid while looking after patients in the back of ambulances outside emergency departments.
The suggestions are made in unprecedented new guidance issued by PHE amid sky-high rates of very long ambulance handovers outside hospitals.
This is because EDs are struggling with attempts to maintain distancing for infection control, along with high occupancy and severe operational pressures elsewhere in hospitals. It has led over the past two months to large numbers of patients being looked after in ambulances for extended times while they wait for space in ED.